Tank lining for electric switches



y 2, 1929- A. c. KELLE TANK LINING FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed Jan, 2, 1926 fivenZon M O W.

VIIIIII 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented July 2, 1929. 1,719,269

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. g

ARTHUR c. xnnnn. F C NTON, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenoa TO oonnrr ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF sourrr BosTON, .MAssAcHUsnT'rs, A 00} PORATION 0F MAssAcHUsE'r'rsj TANK 'LINING non ELECTRIC SWITCHES;

Application filed January 2, 1926. Serial No. 78,828.

This invention relates to the insulation of lining so constructed and. arranged thattit high tension electrical apparatus, as elec- 1s 1n direct contact with and so is supported t'ric switches, contained in metallic casings by the strong walls of the casing against I or tanks, and particularly rectangular casrupture due to pressure generated within the 5 ings, and immersed in the oil or other 1ncasing.

sulating or arc-quenching fluid contained A further object is the provision of'a cas therein; and has particular reference to ining-lining so constructed and arranged that sulat-ing linings for said casings. its sidewalls are adapted to lie flat against It is common practice to interpose an 1n-. the sidewalls of the casing.

sulating lining between the side walls of the A yet further object is the provision of a enclosing casing and the arcing members or lining-box composed of side and end boards an electric switch to prevent the circuitwhich are connected to form a'completelyinterrupting are from breaking through the insulating enclosure and are arranged to lie oil and coming into contact with the ,casflat against the casing-walls.

5 ing, which, usually, is grounded. lVhile the Theside-walls of the casing. are adapted "insulating lining may be composed of any to yield under abnormal internal pressures suitable insulating material, a lining comand a further object isv to provide a wood posed of wood boards joined at their edges lining the side and end boards otwhich are to form a box, isdesirable for many reasons. adapted to be supported by and to yield 20 The rectangular tanks with which this with the side walls otthe casing, without invention is more particularly concerned are rupturing, and while preserving the insulatordinarily formed of heavy-sheet iron or "mg-continuity. of the lining.--. "steel which is bent. into-sthe desired shape A .yetfurther object is the provision'ofsa toi'orm the flat side and end'walls of the casing-liningso arranged that the lining is 2 casing; and the casing is provided with self supported against collapse inwardly,

round corners to increase the strength of the and by the casing against collapse man outin 1 ,7 ward :direction. i I

l' ith the usual'wood lining construction, An-additional object of this invention is and especially because of the round corners, the provision of a corner construction for Cil 30 the lining-box must be made smaller than sectional linings which willenable the liningso the casing, and a number, if not all, of the sections to' be adjacent to the casing walls side walls ofthe lining-boxpmust be spaced at all times and which will allow the secfrom the side walls of the casing. When ,tions to flex without rupture and without the switch is opened under heavy load, a impairing the efficiency of thelining-insulaconsiderable pressure may be built up sudtion at the corners. 5 I denly'in the oil, and this pressure is exerted A further object is generally to improve upon the liningwalls. The unsupported the construction of insulating linings for the lining-walls cannot resist any substantial casings of electrical apparatus. and suddenly-applied pressure and so often Fig. l is a plan view of a metal tank and 4e split or crack, thereby uncovering a portion aninsulating-lining constructed according to so of the casing so that a subsequent arc may my invention. attack the casing and burn a hole in it and Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section thereby cause fires, or, at least, a seriousdisof the tank in Fig. 1. l I turbance in the switch circuit. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the lining box While wood linings are particularly sus- 01' Fig' l. i 5

ceptible to the above-enumerated troubles, Fig. 4c is a perspective view" of a corner continuous linings composed of fibre and the locking memberof the lining-box. I

' like also are subject to the same defects. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a corner Consequently an object of this invention construction of a lining box.

50 is the provision of an insulating casing- Fig. 6 is a View: similar to Fig.5 but illustrating the manner in which the side walls of the lining can yield with their supporting casing walls without rupture and without injuring the insulating capacity of the lining-box.

Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating a spring member employed for holding the lining in place in the casing.

My invention is particularly adapted for and is here shown as associated with a metal rectan ular casing having flat side walls 10 and fia t end walls 12, and the round corners 14. The casing lining embodying my invention includes the flat rectangular wood boards 16 which form the side walls of the lining and similar boards 18. which form the end walls of the lining. Said boards are adapted tolie against and in contact with the flat sides of the casing and have widths which are approximately coextensive with the flat sides only of the casing, so that the boards do not extend into or lie upon the rounded corners of the casing. The lining boards are retained in the aforesaid position by means of corner locking members or posts which comprise essentially rectangular strips 20 preferably of wood. V-shaped grooves 22, the side walls of which preferably lie at an angle from 90, are formed in the opposite edges of said corner posts and extend in parallel relation from end to end .of the corner posts. The position and arrangement of said grooves in said corner posts is such that the proximate edges of the side and end boards of the lining are adapted to be. received therein with the corner posts disposed at an angle of approximately with both the side and end boards of the lining. As thus arranged, the cornerposts bridge the gaps between the side and end boards at the corners of the casing. The similar side faces of the grooves in said corner posts are adapted to terminate at the outer faces 20 of said posts; and the width of such faces is adapted to be about equal to the thickness of the lining boards.

The opposite edges 20 of the corner posts project over the inner faces of the liningboards .so that the corner posts may 1113111 tain their overlapping relations with the lining boards andso preserve the insulating capacity of the lining.

Preferably the corner posts and lining boards are relatively loosely fitted together whereby to allow for slight variations in dimensions during the fabrication of the tanks and also to give the lining sufiicient freedom to enable the component parts of it to flex with the casing.

The lining is self-supporting within the casing and is assembled by sliding the corner posts down between the proximate edges of adjacent side and end boards of the lining. The last corner post inserted serves to lock the lining securely in position.

against inward walls,

ing members Spring members 30, Fig. 7, are inserted between the casing and the corner-posts 20, and are adapted to bear against said cornerposts and thereby serve to hold the lining from floating in the oil in the casing.

\Vhile I have described my invention in connection with a lining composed of wood boards and wood corner posts it is obvious that the lining may be similarly constructed of different materials.

I claim:

1. The combination of a casing and an insulating lining therefor, said lining having a plurality of lining-sections and members located between and connecting said sections together, said connecting members constituting supports for said lining-sections movement only and said casing constituting a support for said lining sections against outward movement.

2. An insulating lining for the metal casing of an electrical apparatus, said lining having a plurality of angularly-related flat side walls of insulating material, which. side walls are spaced apart at their proximate edges, and corner members disposed between the spaced proximate edges of said side walls and having projections which overlie the inner faces of said side walls and also having. projections which engage the end edges ,of said side walls, the aforesaid projections cooperating to maintain said corner members in position between said side said corner members being free from projections which overlie the outer faces of said side walls, whereby the lining walls are free to move outwardly.

3. The combination of a metalcasing havgflat side walls and an insulating lining therefor having a plurality of flat side Walls of insulating material which lie against the flat side walls of the casing, said insulating flat walls having their proximate edges spaced apart at the corners of the casing, and corner locking members disposed-between the proximate spaced ends of said insulating side walls,

having opposed parallel longi tudinal notches in which proximate edges of said side walls are received and said corner locking members having projections which overlie the inner faces and ends only of said walls, said corner locking members and the projections thereof constituting supports for said insulating side walls against inward movement only and also con stituting interlocking connections between said corner members and side walls which permit free and independent outward movements of said side walls.

4. The combination of a casing having flat side walls and round corners and an insulating lining for said side walls composed of boards which lie directly throughout their entire extent upon said side walls and said corner lockterminate adjacent but spaced from each other at the round corners, and corner looking posts received in the corners of the casing between the adjacent ends of the boards and having notches in opposite sides which engage the inner faces and ends only of the boards and are free from engagement with the outer faces of said boards, said corner locking members cooperating to hold said boards against inward movement but im- 1 posing no restraint against the outward movement of said boards, so that the boards can move outwardly free from and unrestrained by said corner locking members.

In testimony whereof, name to this specification.

ARTHUR C. KELLE.

I have signed my 15 

